Established just two years ago, SHARGE, a startup from China, has achieved remarkable success in the global market with its high-end power bank products, raking in tens of millions in revenue within a short span. In the fiercely competitive and increasingly homogeneous landscape of consumer electronics, SHARGE’s ascent to prominence begs a closer examination.
Comprehensive and Intricate Product Strategy
Founded in 2020 by a team of tech enthusiasts with a penchant for innovation, SHARGE boasts a roster of talents predominantly sourced from renowned domestic giants such as Gree, DJI, Meizu, and OnePlus. This formidable talent pool has laid a solid foundation for SHARGE’s rapid growth and elevated starting point. SHARGE’s technological prowess and brand development strategy are characterized by a comprehensive and intricate approach. Through strategic planning along both vertical and horizontal axes, the company has not only achieved a comprehensive coverage of charging and energy storage products, ranging from high-end to mass-market offerings but has also constructed a holistic ecosystem centered around three core life scenarios: personal, household, and automotive.
From the outset, SHARGE positioned itself in the high-end market segment, introducing a series of high-performance, high-quality charging and energy storage products, such as high-power gallium nitride (GaN) chargers and innovatively designed power banks, priced around 1000 RMB. According to the brand’s milestones on its official website, in July 2020, SHARGE released the world’s first highly efficient 90W, 100W GaN smart charger, with shipments exceeding 100,000 units; in December 2021, it launched the world’s first 140W GaN charger supporting PD3.1, further solidifying its position in the high-end market and expanding possibilities for mobile device charging. As the brand grew and technology advanced, SHARGE gradually expanded its product line to cater to broader market demand, offering charging and energy storage solutions suitable for different consumer demographics. Its product line now includes GaN chargers, power banks, mobile storage products, and related accessories. Investing continuously in research and development and securing multiple technology patents, SHARGE maintains a technological edge in charging speed, safety, and convenience. According to enterprise data from Qichacha, SHARGE has obtained 42 patented technologies, covering advancements in charging speed, safety, and convenience. Of particular note is the application of high-power fast charging technology and GaN technology, enabling products to withstand higher voltage and temperature, achieve more efficient power conversion, deliver faster charging speeds, and significantly reduce device charging times. This core technology not only enhances individual product performance but also helps the company establish technological barriers in the consumer electronics field, strengthening the brand’s market competitiveness.
At the same time, addressing the charging needs of personal mobile devices, SHARGE has launched portable power banks, fast chargers, and other products to meet users’ on-the-go charging requirements. To cater to charging and energy storage needs within households, SHARGE has developed charging stations, smart sockets, and other products tailored for home environments, providing users with comprehensive charging solutions. With the trend towards automotive electrification, SHARGE has also introduced car chargers and related accessories, offering convenient charging services for drivers and passengers alike.
Through this intricate strategic layout, SHARGE has not only diversified its product line but also achieved comprehensive market penetration. This all-encompassing strategy enables SHARGE to better meet the diverse needs of consumers, providing corresponding products and services for personal, household, and automotive scenarios, thus standing out in the fierce market competition and establishing a strong brand advantage.
Diversification Strategy Driving Overseas Market Growth
In February 2021, SHARGE took its first steps into the international market through Kickstarter, raising over $1 million in crowdfunding—a crucial milestone in its internationalization strategy. The success of the crowdfunding campaign not only provided direct financial support to the company but also validated its appeal and potential demand in international markets, laying the groundwork for global market influence. Following the successful crowdfunding, SHARGE deepened its presence in existing markets through marketing activities and advertising campaigns, bolstering brand awareness.
Simultaneously, the company strengthened online and offline cooperation channels. In addition to Kickstarter, online channels include independent websites, Amazon, and platforms like eBay and AliExpress. On Amazon, SHARGE’s product sales volume consistently exceeds 100 units, with ratings maintained above 4.0. Within just two years, SHARGE has achieved significant success on Amazon’s US platform, becoming the top power brand in the $200 price range, earning the moniker “the next Anker” among industry insiders. Its efficient charging performance, unique cyberpunk style, and transparent elements are key factors affirming consumers’ positive evaluations.
Traffic to SHARGE’s independent website only began to increase in the latter half of 2023. Over the past three months, traffic to the independent site has reached 1.18 million, with monthly traffic averaging between 300,000 and 500,000. According to SimilarWeb, SHARGE’s independent website traffic mainly consists of organic and social traffic, with organic traffic dominating at 70%. This data reflects SHARGE’s success in search engine optimization (SEO) and brand building. Direct visits, accounting for 35.72% of traffic, indicate that SHARGE has established a certain level of brand recognition. Users can directly access the website via the URL, typically indicating a degree of brand loyalty. Organic search traffic, at 34.75%, indicates SHARGE’s strong performance in search engines, successfully attracting users through keyword optimization and content marketing strategies. Brand-related search terms account for 61% of organic searches, indicating consumers have clear search intent for SHARGE products, a positive signal for the brand. Organic search terms such as “shargeek,” “sharge,” “sharge disk,” “shargeek 170,” and “shargeek storm 2” dominate the search share, with “shargeek 170” seeing an increase in search share, indicating heightened consumer interest in specific product models—a positive market feedback for the brand. These data metrics help brands better understand consumer behaviour, evaluate the effectiveness of marketing activities, and adjust and optimize future marketing strategies.
In terms of marketing channels, SHARGE has effectively utilized various mainstream social media platforms and actively participated in offline strategies such as international exhibitions, successfully enhancing the brand’s global visibility and market influence. By leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, SHARGE has effectively reached a wide range of target audiences. Currently, SHARGE has a total of approximately 106,000 followers across social channels, with a focus on Instagram and Facebook, primarily providing product displays and user interactions through short videos and image posts.
With a plethora of advertising materials reaching as high as 730, SHARGE has primarily leveraged succinct, approximately 15-second short videos to swiftly and comprehensively highlight product functionalities and selling points. Through the extensive deployment of advertising materials, the company effectively communicates the core selling points and functional advantages of its products. This strategy enables potential consumers to swiftly grasp product information, thereby enhancing the allure and conversion rates of the advertisements. For instance, their flagship product, the Shargeek 170, is spotlighted within a concise 15-second video, emphasizing its hallmark transparent design. Featuring a futuristic diamond-shaped contour, the product’s exterior not only exudes a sense of technology and futurism but also allows users an intuitive glimpse into its internal components and circuits. Boasting the ability to fast-charge three devices simultaneously, a capacious 24000mAh battery, and equipped with an intelligent display screen providing real-time updates on remaining battery levels, charging status, and output power, the product offers users convenient power management capabilities.
In their KOL collaboration strategy, SHARGE prioritizes partnerships with tech enthusiasts. This category of individuals typically possesses an in-depth understanding and passion for the latest technological products, their opinions carrying significant weight among both tech enthusiasts and potential consumers. Moreover, they often boast professional expertise, enabling them to evaluate and showcase SHARGE products from a specialized perspective. This aids in enhancing brand image and product credibility. Collaboration with such individuals generates in-depth content, such as detailed product reviews, usage tutorials, and technical analyses, which not only captivates but also educates potential consumers. This facilitates the rapid dissemination of positive word-of-mouth within their social circles, which is crucial for boosting product sales and market share.
Not content with merely showcasing its brand strength in online markets, SHARGE has also made strategic inroads onto the international stage through active participation in a series of prominent offline exhibitions, further expanding its global influence. In September 2023, SHARGE unveiled its innovative “Super Mobile Power” series and Macintosh charging head series at the IFA exhibition in Berlin, Germany. As one of the world’s leading consumer electronics exhibitions, IFA provided an ideal platform for SHARGE to showcase its latest technology and products, positioning the brand as a focal point of the exhibition and attracting the attention of numerous industry experts and consumers. Following closely, in January 2024, SHARGE once again set sail for international waters, showcasing a highly anticipated range of new products at the renowned CES exhibition in Las Vegas, USA. Known for its display of innovative technologies, SHARGE’s participation not only elevated the brand’s international renown but also garnered widespread media coverage and attention from around the world. Through participation in these exhibitions, SHARGE not only showcased the innovation and technological prowess of its products but also established direct connections with international consumers, laying a solid foundation for the expansion of its global market.
From the successful crowdfunding on Kickstarter to high sales and favourable reviews on Amazon to the steady growth in traffic to their independent website, SHARGE has demonstrated the potential and strength of Chinese brands on the global stage.
